Most of the costs of hunting for a new job can be written...

Your Money - Tax Tips

March 24, 1996

Most of the costs of hunting for a new job can be written off, including the expense of printing and mailing resumes, long-distance telephone calls, employment agency fees, the cost of placing job-wanted ads and transportation to job interviews. There is one catch: The job you were seeking must have been in the same line of work you were in. The cost of attending night school can be a deductible expense, but only if the courses were to maintain or improve skills in your current job. If you were taking courses to learn a new trade, the costs aren't deductible.

Dues for several membership organizations are deductible: professional organizations such as bar associations and medical associations; civic or public-service organizations such as Kiwanis and Rotary clubs; and business trade groups such as Chambers of Commerce and trade associations.